When you are pro-war even the abortion doctors call you "baby-killer."

2004-04-15

Screw You Guys, I'm Goin' Home

It appears RealNetworks, which is in RealTrouble with its music service and rapidly marginalized media player, is using the Eric Cartman method of negotiation with Apple in blatant attempt to remain relevant.

Basically RealNetworks wants to get on the iPod to provide a media player platform to link to its music download service. Apparently Real is using AAC right now, the same format Apple uses, but with a different DRM scheme. Apple uses a DRM scheme called FairPlay (and was in fact the first such scheme released to the marketplace for music downloads).

It sounds like Real wants to twist Steve Jobs' arm to get access to the massively popular iPod and if not will shrug and go play ball with Microsoft (which does not have a standard hardware player as such, but has ubiquitous file/DRM support on every single non-Apple music player). This is the "Screw You Guys, I'm Goin' Home" method of negotiating created by South Park's Eric Cartman.

Real does not have the Microsoft format and DRM support on every non-Apple player, and does not have access to the iPod and its own DRM despite using the same core file format. Apple has the #1 music player and music download service but may very well lose out to the Microsoft WMA juggernaught if they don't allow another service access to the iPod as well. Quite a pickle for all those guys, eh?

About Me

Not quite a geek; I suck at playing all manner of video games. I found a "war penny" in the office my dad used for nearly all of my life that I was cleaning out after he finally retired.

I was part of the group blog Amish Tech Support, but I hardly post anything as I never have much to say. I don't go out anymore, don't have anyone to go with. I don't have dreams anymore, don't have any talent to make them real.

Being a grown up really sucks for 99% of the people - woulda been nice to know this ahead of time. Looking at my movie list, you can tell I spend a lot of time watching IFC and Sundance (but I am so not a spineless liberal).